#goddammit adler

[codename-adler]

What i’m supposed to do:

- READ TSC

- write Fic 1 & Fic 2 for the Daylight Savings/Kevin Day Fic Fest

- write for Baby Girl, Good Luck

- write chap. 21 of the Kevaaron fic

- finally get on with reading my physical tbr

- work work work work (while also looking for new job)

What i’m doing:

- writing a Hankcon/dbh one-shot🧍‍♂️

[finnsbubblegum]

Becoming Mrs. Miller {Part 7: The Outbreak} (Joel Miller x Reader) 

Pairing: pre-outbreak!joel miller x f!reader

Warnings: death of main character

Words count: 2.5k

A/N: Hi! This is part 7 for Becoming Mrs. Miller. But it can also be read as a standalone. I decided not to write summary and warnings to avoid spoilers. The scenes are mostly from TLOU Ep 1 with additions and some changes from my story. Hope you like it! 

Also, thank you to everyone who has read my fanfics! I can’t believe I receive so much love by writing this fanfiction, especially since this is my first time writing fanfiction. I have always loved to write but my mom told me I’m so bad at it so there was a time where I hated writing. But lately, I decided to give it a try so thank you so much for your support! 

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

You and Joel went to bed after revealing your baby’s gender to him. 

“Thank you for giving us a baby boy, darlin’. It’s finally time for me to have a sidekick from you and Sarah gangin’ up on me.” He joked and stroked your belly in circles.

“I’m gonna make him on my side.” You chuckled and put your hand on top of his hand.

“Nuh-uh. Not gonna let that happen.” He stroked your hair and gave you a kiss.

You moved your body closer to him and buried your face to his chest. He wrapped his arms around you and you fell asleep at his warmth. 

*Phone vibrating*

“Ugh..” Joel groaned as he moved your head slowly from his arms. You mumbled something and went back to sleep.

“Hello?” Joel whispered so he didn’t wake you.

“Joel, it’s me. Uh, I’m okay.” It was Tommy.

“Yeah?” Joel rubbed his eyes.

“But I’m in jail.” 

“Goddammit” Joel cursed at Tommy.

Apparently, Tommy got into a fight at the bar. It was Friday night so he asked Joel to bail him out. Unless Joel bailed him out, Tommy would spend the rest of the weekend at the jail.

“Okay. Fuckin’ idiot.” Joel hung up.

“Who was that?” You mumbled.

“It’s Tommy. He got into trouble. I gotta go get him.”

“Is he in jail?” You raised your head and got worried.

“Yeah, but don’t worry. Just go back to bed. I’ll be back soon. Okay?”

“Okay.” 

Joel kissed your forehead before he slowly got out of bed and left to get Tommy. 

You got awakened by the noises outside. Sirens wailing, blasting sounds, helicopters, car alarms, and dogs barking. You looked to your right to check the time. It was 2.16 AM. 

“Mom?” Sarah knocked.

“Come in, sweetie.” 

“What’s that?” Sarah asked why there were noises outside.

“I don’t know. Let’s check the news.”

“Where’s dad?” 

“He went to get uncle Tommy.” 

Sarah nodded. The two of you went downstairs and turned on the TV. The TV showed a black screen with a message from the government. Citizens were told to stay indoors and wait for further instructions. 

“Everything will be fine.” Your heart was beating faster and you rubbed your belly to make yourself calm down.

“Mercy?” Sarah gasped as she found Mercy whimpering out of the door.

“Sarah, don’t go out.” You stopped Sarah from going near the door.

“I gotta get him back to the Adlers, mom.”

“No, stay. We were told to stay indoors. We don’t know what’s happening out there.” You insisted.

“Mom..” Sarah pleaded while Mercy kept barking.

“Okay, fine. I’ll go with you.” You caved in and went out to your neighbor together.

“Come on, Mercy. Please.” Sarah dragged Mercy from the collar but Mercy refused to go towards the Adlers’ house. Mercy’s collar broke and he escaped. 

“Mom, their door’s left open.” Sarah pointed to the Adlers’ house and walked near the door.

“Don’t go inside. I’ll go.” You gestured to Sarah to stay behind you.

“Stay here.” You told Sarah as you slowly walked inside the Adlers’ house.

It was dark, quiet and the carpet was wrinkled. Something wasn’t right. Your heart was beating faster and you hugged your belly protectively.

“Mrs. Adler?” You walked to the kitchen and slipped. You fell and looked down and you saw blood. A lot of blood.

“Help me.” Mr. Adler was drenched in blood. 

You looked to your right and found Nana, Mrs. Adler’s mother biting Mrs. Adler on the floor. You gasped. There was something coming out from her mouth. She looked at you and stood up. She screamed and started running after you. You were shaking and ran outside as fast you could.

“Sarah! Sarah! Get inside the house!” You shouted as you ran. 

“What’s happening?” Sarah was shocked.

As you got to the front yard, you saw Joel’s truck. 

“Get in the truck! Right now!” Joel yelled as he moved towards you.

“Joel..Joel..There-there was blood in there.. Mr. Adler..” You panted.

“You okay? Are you hurt?” Joel’s were on your shoulder and looked at you up and down. He saw your hands and your nightdress was colored in red.

“No. No. I slipped-I fell but I’m okay. It’s not mine.” You assured Joel.

Nana suddenly came out from the door and made a loud squealing noise. She crawled towards you and Joel. You could hear her bones cracking. Joel pushed you behind him.

“She-she bit-” You couldn’t find your words.

“What are we doing Joel?” Tommy pointed his gun to Nana.

Before Tommy shot her, Joel already hit her with the wrench he was holding. 

“Joel-” You gasped.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. We gotta go.” You panted and shook your head.

“Listen to me. It’s not just the Adlers. But we're gonna be brave, and we're gonna get outta this.” Joel held Sarah’s and your shoulder. 

Then you heard an explosion, you flinched and covered your belly.

“Hey. Let's go. Come on.” Tommy shouted. You nodded and got in the car with Sarah. 

“Dad, you killed her.” Sarah cried.

“Baby, I’m sorry.” Joel’s hand reached Sarah from the passenger seat.

You wanted to rub Sarah’s back to calm her down but you couldn’t. Your hands were soaked in blood and you hurriedly wiped it on your nightdress. Joel and Tommy were talking about which way to go and you saw a house was burning on fire. 

“They’re saying it’s a virus..Some kind of parasite.” Tommy explained.

“Are we sick?” You could hear Sarah was really scared.

“No. Of course not.” Joel tried to reassure Sarah.

“How do you know we’re not sick?” Sarah asked again.

“We’re not, sweetie. We’re gonna be fine.” You stroked Sarah’s upper arm with your slightly clean hand to dispel her doubts and yours of course.

“They're saying it's mostly people in the city. That's why they got the highway blocked off.” Tommy added.

As Tommy drove away, you saw a family car break down and asked for a ride. But Joel told Tommy to keep driving. Your heart broke but Joel was right, you couldn’t just help anyone. What if they were sick and you let them harm you, your baby, and your family? 

“Fuck! Everybody had the same fuckin' idea. I can't get through this.” Tommy hit the driving wheel and honked the car.

“All right, all right. Let's think it through, we'll think it through.” Joel tried to find an alternative.

Joel told Tommy to cut across and go west but the way there was already blocked by the army. Then Joel told Tommy to go north but Tommy doubted him.

“Well, we can't go south, we can't go east, we can't go west. Hell else we supposed to go?” Joel ran out of ideas. Tommy didn’t answer.

“Tommy, come on!” Joel yelled.

Tommy started driving to the town hoping to get a way out. Probably Mexico as long as they could get out of the town. As soon as they were in the town, there were already many people running and screaming. It was chaotic.

“Tommy, you can't stop here.” Tommy stopped the car because there were people around.

”I can't drive through 'em all.”

“Are you serious?! Just keep goin'!” Joel shouted.

“Joel! We gotta move!” You looked back and there was a plane crashing towards the car.

“Dad?!” Sarah saw it too.

“ Move! Move! We gotta get off this street now!” Joel panicked.

“Holy Shit! I'm tryin'!” Tommy panicked too.

The plane was going faster and near you. You were shaking and holding your belly. You didn’t want to die like this. Your baby hadn’t even been born yet, this couldn’t be the time you die. You closed your eyes wishing this was a dream. 

*car accident*

Joel was grunting. He looked around the car. The car was turned upside down. You were unconscious. 

“Sarah... (y/n). Stay right there. Don't move. Tommy, you okay?” Joel checked on each of you. 

“Yeah, I'm okay.” Tommy was okay. He got out of the car on his own.

You opened your eyes slowly as you heard Joel’s voice. Your head was spinning and you couldn’t move. The first thing on your mind was your baby. You looked down and rubbed your belly. Then you felt pain in your ankle. Joel got out of the car and went to the backseat. 

“Baby, you okay?” Joel moved to get you.

“I’m fine. Just get Sarah out first.” Sarah’s safety was your priority.

“Sarah... don't look. You look at me... okay?” Joel got Sarah out then he got back inside the car to help you out.

“Joel, I think-I think I’m hurt.” You winced.

“It’s okay, baby. Come here. Put your arms around me.” Joel took your arms and dragged you out.

“Where are you hurt, baby?” Joel checked you.

“My ankle.” You grimaced.

“We gotta get off the street!” Tommy yelled holding his gun.

A police car suddenly crashed from behind the truck. Leaving Tommy alone across the truck while you, Sarah and Joel stuck in the alley. Tommy was okay and he told Joel to meet him at the river.

“Head to the river! I'll find a way. Get the girls outta here, Joel! Go!”

“Can you run?” Joel asked you and Sarah. Sarah nodded but you kept quiet.

“Baby?” Joel faced you.

“No- I-.” You tried to move but your ankle hurt so much.

“Okay.” Joel put his arms around your back and legs to carry you.

“You keep your eyes on me. Sarah, you stay behind me. Don’t look anywhere else.” Joel was panting and you could hear his heart beating faster.

Joel froze for a moment. You looked around and you saw a pile of people eating each other. One of them stood up and saw the three of you. He looked like a monster. He stared at you and started moving. Joel started running, Sarah followed him.

“Come on!” Joel yelled at Sarah to get in front of him after he opened the door of a diner.

The man ran so fast behind Joel you could see him from Joel’s shoulder. Thankfully, his run was messy so he couldn’t keep up with Joel and Sarah. You heard a gunshot as Joel, you, and Sarah arrived outside the diner. It was a soldier. He shot the sick man. You were relieved.

“It's okay, baby. You're safe. We’re safe.” Joel's heartbeat was getting normal.

“Don't move!” The soldier shouted.

“My wife is hurt. Her ankle.” 

“Stop right there!” 

“Easy now. We're not sick! Please, my wife, she’s pregnant. And I got a daughter. She’s just a child. Please.” Joel begged.

The soldier was receiving a message from his radio and listened to it then he started pointing his gun at the three of you.

“We're not sick. We are not sick!” Joel fell, you screamed and Sarah screamed too.

The three of you rolled in the field. The soldier came near Joel to shoot him before he even got up. You heard gunshots. It was Tommy. Tommy shot the soldier. But then you felt pain on your stomach. You reached a hand on it and you felt warm liquid flowing. You started hyperventilating. It seemed that the soldier missed his shot. Instead of shooting Joel, his shot went through you. Joel and Sarah heard your pants and rushed to you. 

“No. Oh no. Mom!” Sarah screamed.

“No, no. No. Move your hand, baby.” Joel went to check on you. 

“I-I hurt the baby, don’t I?” You slowly moved your bloodied hand as you yelped.

“Don't look down, look up, look up.” Joel looked at your wound. You knew from his face, it looked bad.

“You're gonna be okay. All right... baby, baby, baby, listen to me. I gotta get you up, okay?” Joel slowly put you in his arms while the other put a pressure on your wound but you winced and screamed in pain.

“I know, baby, I know, I know, I know, I know. I know it hurts.” Joel cried.

“Joel, I can’t. Just leave me-leave-leave us. Get-get Sarah safe.” You tried to hide the pain and reached your hand to Sarah. 

“No. No. I’m not leaving you here. Not like this.” Joel didn’t want to leave you like this.

“Mom..” Sarah cried holding your hand.

You couldn’t believe you were destined to die like this, with a baby inside you. But you knew nothing could be done so you decided to accept your fate.

“Sarah, sweetie, you listen to your dad okay. Be a good girl. I may not be your biological mother but I have always… loved you like my own. I-I love you, okay?” You cupped Sarah's cheeks with your bloodied hand. 

“I love you too, mom.” Sarah tears fell on your hand as she held your wrist.

“Now, will you go to uncle Tommy? Mommy has something to say to your dad.” You tried to breathe.

“Joel, listen to me. I-I’m sorry.” You cupped his cheeks. His hands were still pressing on to your bleeding stomach.

“No. No. We’re gonna get help. Get you help.” Joel cried.

“Joel, I-I don’t have much time. I-I’m sorry I couldn’t keep our baby safe. It’s okay. It-it’s not your fault. It’s my-” You had difficulty breathing as the bleeding continued.

“Stop. Stop talking.” Joel cut you.

“It’s o-okay. We-we’re just going to sleep. Our baby boy, I, we-we will see you in your dreams. It’s gonna be o-okay.” Your body started feeling cold and pale. Joel shook his head and tears streaming down his face.

“Will-will you kiss me one last time?” You cried.

Joel didn’t say anything and he gave you a kiss.

“Thank you. Thank you for marrying me. I-” You coughed blood.

“I love you, darlin’.” Joel knew what you were trying to tell him.

“I-I love-” You breathed out your last breath before you even finished the sentence. Your eyes were left open.

“No! Baby, come back! No! Come back to me please! Tommy help me!” Joel raised you to his chest and cradled you.

“Mom!” Sarah cried and Tommy hugged her, stopping her from seeing your lifeless body. She was too young to see a dead body, especially her mother’s.

“Come on..Please..” Joel kept cradling you and crying.

After a moment, he suddenly stopped crying. He took your wedding ring from your finger, kept it in his pocket. It was the only thing he could take to keep a part of you stay with him. 

“Thank you for everythin’. I love you.” He whispered to your ear wishing you could hear his words. 

He kissed your lips even though it was covered in blood, he didn’t care. Before he got up, he closed your eyes, kissed your forehead, belly and left you laying there.

“Dad..What are you doing?” Sarah cried.

“Joel, we can’t leave her here.” Tommy was confused about Joel’s action.

He looked emotionless now. It was like he turned off a switch in his heart. Not letting any emotions attach. 

“Let’s go.” Joel walked away.

The End.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

A/N: This is the last part for "Becoming Mrs. Miller" series and thank you so much for tuning in. I’m sorry if I broke your heart. I had this idea and kept wondering what if Joel’s love of his life died instead of Sarah. I have always loved romance stories that made you cry and made you hard to move on so I had to write it 😭 because I didn't want to let it go to waste and just let it stay in my head. I don’t want to write this in the beginning of the story because I don’t want to give you spoilers, please don’t attack me. 😭  I will write more fanfictions since I still have more ideas on my notes. Currently, I will continue “I Don’t Deserve You” series. So if you like my work, don’t worry because I’m still here to entertain you. Love you!

Taglist:

@moonlightdivine @harperdoodle @ameliadraws @soldierheart @mrsyixingunicorn10 @happinessinthebeing @nyotamalfoy

[gleefrankenfic]

Frankenfic 2022: "Stage Fright" Summary: In their latest scheme to fundraise for Regionals, The New Directions decide to host the spookiest haunted house that Lima, Ohio has ever seen. But when strange things start happening on the set of their haunted house, it may be the spooksters themselves who get the biggest fright.

Chapter 3 By Jeanne (@kuiinncedes) 

 “Shit,” Santana hissed, jumping away from the wall slightly. “Ugh, these plaque things always creep me out.” She turned away while Kurt leaned in closer, a slight shudder running up his spine; there was something… off about the photo of the old glee club director. 

“Does… does the plaque look different to you?” He didn’t remember Mrs. Adler’s gaze being so… direct. Piercing, even through the haze and blurriness of the old photo. Like her eyes were actually making contact with his. 

🕸 Keep reading below the cut or on Ao3 🕸 🎃Missed a chapter? Start from the beginning🎃

Santana turned halfway back with a raised eyebrow. “It’s a plaque. Do you need to get your eyes checked, Hummel? Maybe that would explain why they’re always so inexplicably attached to a certain someone.”

Kurt rolled his eyes that did not need to be checked, and followed Santana away as she continued to tease, “Maybe you have magnets inhibiting your vision that need to be removed. Must be hard never being able to look away.”

“Takes one to know one,” Kurt said, a grin tugging at his mouth.

“We’re going back to the sheet,” Santana said firmly, not acknowledging his comment and walking slightly faster away. 

There wasn’t a long distance to go, though, and especially not when they saw what they were looking for and slowed down, staring in confusion at the fake bed in the air that they most definitely had not finished, and no sign of anyone around who might have done it.

“Did Rachel…?” Kurt started, realizing Rachel had not been with them on the way over. Had she gone ahead to finish the bed? It didn’t seem like she would, with all the strict and unforgiving delegating she’d been doing for the haunted house for weeks, but…

He trailed off just as he heard Rachel’s voice from the stage again, and he and Santana turned to see her with Finn on a spotless, glass-free stage. Rachel looked a mix of slightly annoyed and mostly pleased, and Finn just confused. When they walked over, he said with wide eyes, “Someone cleaned it up. I didn’t do anything. And I don’t think anyone else has been on the stage.”

“Didn’t I tell you guys to go back to the sheet?” Rachel interrupted.

Kurt and Santana glanced at each other, and Kurt said hesitantly, “It’s… done, but—”

“The sheet’s done? Perfect! Amazing job, guys, everything’s going great! We had some hiccups, but we’re on schedule.”

Santana scoffed. “No, Berry, listen—something’s going on here—” 

“Kurt, you can go to Home Depot instead. I’ll send you what we need.”

“I thought you—for fuck’s sake,” Kurt muttered, giving up on the objection and heading out to the lobby. “Good luck, Santana.”

He twirled his keys in his hand as he approached the doors, somewhat looking forward to getting away from Rachel for a bit and possibly seeing Blaine, maybe getting some time alone with him for the first time in a while. Kurt wanted to talk to him about it, just to make sure that Blaine knew he could tell him anything, and that Kurt would give him space if he needed it, even though every day that went by without talking to Blaine made him feel just a bit more like he was dying inside.

Kurt pushed on the heavy doors, but nothing happened. 

“Push harder, Hummel!” Santana called from the stage.

“Goddammit, Santana—” he said, fully leaning his body weight into the door while facing the stage. She gave him a smirk and disappeared backstage, where Kurt assumed everyone else had gone as well.

“Well thanks for the help!” He rolled his eyes and went back to pushing the door, but it didn’t budge.

“Wait, Kurt!” A familiar voice said from the other side.

“What—Blaine?”

“And Brittany!”

“Oh, hi Britt… why are you guys—can you open the door?”

“I think they’re stuck,” Blaine replied, almost sounding guilty, if Kurt knew Blaine’s voice as well as he liked to think he did (knew Blaine as well as he thought he did). “I thought I propped them open when I left, but I turned back and they were closed. I can’t pull them open either.”

Kurt pressed his lips together. “Wonderful. Love that for us.”

“I’m going to go see if the Woman can help!” Brittany’s voice chirped.

A silence followed, with Kurt simply trying to make sense of her words in his head.

“She’s gone,” Blaine said, sounding slightly exasperated.

“The Woman?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah, I don’t know—she just showed up with a soap dispenser and talking about the Woman and bubble babies or something, sorry, let me see if she can help us get the door open, though, maybe if we all work together—”

“Blaine, it’s fine, just—” Kurt was suddenly plunged into darkness, the tell-tale thud of the stage lights turning off echoing through the auditorium. “Um—who turned off the lights?” he yelled, irritated, in the general direction of the stage.

No one answered. 

“Hello? Santana? Rachel? Finn?” There was just silence except for the quickening of Kurt’s heartbeat in his own ears.

He pulled out his phone for a flashlight, but it wouldn’t turn on. Of course, he thought. 

“Everything okay?” Blaine asked. 

“Well, if you count the lights going off, no one responding to me, my phone being dead even though I swear it was at like at least fifty percent—among other things—as okay, then yeah, everything’s perfect.” 

In a way, he was kind of alone with Blaine now—which is what you wanted, Kurt’s brain unhelpfully supplied. The thought didn’t do much to calm his rapid pulse.

“You’ve gotta stop charging it every night, I’ve told you—” Blaine’s familiar teasing response lifted Kurt’s spirits for a moment before they sank right back down when he said, “Oh—wait, mine’s dead, too. That’s… weird.”

Kurt bit his lip and fought the urge to throw his head back and his arms in the air, maybe falling to his knees on the ground and shaking his hands to the sky, bellowing, “Whyyyy?”

“Maybe they’re… practicing?” Blaine suggested weakly. It was true that part of the haunted house plan was to cut the lights for a period of time, but Kurt didn’t see how it was at all helpful to test it right now. And he didn’t see why they wouldn’t tell him anything. And it didn’t answer the question of what was up with their phones.

He told Blaine as much. “Well… guess we’ll wait for a little bit and see what happens.” He sighed. 

The darkness was the all-encompassing, unforgiving kind that seemed to swallow any and every sound, seemed to shrink the space around him, seemed to go on forever like an ocean he was drowning in.

“Hey, Kurt…” Blaine’s voice was hesitant and a little nervous, but Kurt still latched onto it in the growing dark and quiet, “if nothing’s, like, horribly wrong, I guess… I just, uh, wanted to ask you…”

A wave of light from the stage filled the room as suddenly as the darkness had before, and Kurt yelped in surprise, squinting and shielding his eyes against the brightness.

Author’s Note: thank youuu to esp for beta-inggg <3333 and for organizing this :D tbh i have not rly written in Forever so this was a bit of a struggle lmfao but it was very fun lol tysm for reading <33

[awolfnamedluna]

*I accidentally fall off*

Adler: "goddammit Bell he have a job to do"

I'M SORRY I FUCKING FELL

[vxctorx-archived]

[ it's pretty upsetting to me that literally every single iteration of Sherlock Holmes is hellbent on having a portrayal of Irene Adler, but never Victor Trevor, because they're adamant to give Holmes a strong case of the Not Gays for the mainstream audience. ]

[aj-lenoire]

sherlock was NOT GOOD and it’s been four years since it ended but i’m still furious at how poorly they treated molly hooper. she deserved better goddammit. she deserved better than being a dewy-eyed girl who sherlock just manipulated over and over into doing thankless favours. and don’t tell me it was just him being oblivious bc he outright manipulated her by commenting on her hairstyle or some shit and he had like, two conversations in the s2 finale that fucking gave me hope because she could actually see under his mask and she was offering to help the man under all the fantastical deductions instead of just going ‘ooh so smart’ like i don’t think she ONCE fawned over his intellect she (somehow) liked him and i thought they were recognising that and that they weren’t gonna screw her anymore but NOPE she’s just a lovestruck idiot—let’s all laugh at her ha-ha isn’t she stupid

[sapphicluxanna]

The whole reason I bought rdr2 at the beginning was for the horses, and I still love trying out new breeds and patterns (though I feel like I’ve sampled everything at this point since my stats say I’ve owned 45 horses😅). Here’s my current lineup! 💕

Margarita and Kahlua, respectively the silver and dark bay turkomans

Mojito the marble sabino criollo and Whiskey the silver kladruber

Bacardi the brindle thoroughbred and Prosecco the brown leopard appaloosa

Riesling the reverse dapple roan nakota and Merlot the strawberry roan Ardennes

Then finally Sangria and Moonshine, respectively the dapple buckskin and spotted tricolor norfolk roadsters. I love my gals

[capn-james-t-spirk]

Call out post to my terrible friends who made me rewatch Glee and brought back all my strong feelings about David Karofsky.

[rosebarry16]

When you play ashes to ashes and eliminate the team and the only last task you'll do is to kill adler and cry for 4 days straight :

Yes if you asked me that If I cried 4 days straight then yes I did "IT BREAKS MY HEART GODDAMMIT!"

[writer-of-various]

If you have time could you please write Frank pining over Alex and thinking he doesn’t reciprocate but he does?🥰

I love the way you write Alex’s struggle with the numbers and panic attacks also!

Aw thanks luv! And of course, let's buckle up and drive to fluff town folks! Also, if anyone needs relationship advice...don't go to Bell. 😅🤗

Frank Woods/Alex Mason [Fluff]

"Goddammit Frank, it's only 800 hours and you're already daydreaming." Said man was broken from his trance, realizing he had been staring at an oblivious Mason. He looked away, scowling when he saw Hudson's rolled up newspaper and knew that's what cut his thoughts off; and he hated that he was thankful for the distraction.

His eyes were a beautiful hue of earthly shades of green and brown and hints of grey. They were expressive, and Woods hated how often they darkened with sadness. Alex Mason was a broken angel, an angel deemed unlovable but Woods believed otherwise. He promised himself and Mason long ago that he will protect the younger man with his whole being, because there is no way Alex goddman Mason was going to end life without living every single minute. Love, a word Woods would always scoff at, hurt like a bitch.

"Boys, we're outta food!" Bell calls out from the kitchen, getting a loud groan of complaint from Sims. Woods smirked, hopping out of his seat and walking over to a clearly tired Mason, wrapping an arm around the shorter man's shoulders and pulling him close to his chest.

"Why don't we head down to Burger Town? I'm pretty sure they serve breakfast!" Mason chuckled, shaking his head and leaning closer to Woods, who held himself back from pressing a kiss on top of soft, messy brown hair. His nagging thoughts caused him to frown and pull away from Mason, immediately craving the warmth the other gave off in that goddamn caring and calm aura and-

"No, no. We are going to gain a hundred pounds if we continue eating off of greasy foods." Hudson speaks up, his glare pointed at Woods for his comment. Said man stuck his tongue out at him, then grabbed Bell once the youngest agent walked in.

"Haven't you gave Bell a good look over lately, old man? She's so small! Heck, maybe a few burgers would give her a few more inches to grow! Ain't that right, shrimp- ow!" Woods hopped on one foot as Bell had stomped on the other one, her usual friendly smile replaced with a scowl.

"I'm not that short, you bastard! But you're lucky I am craving a hamburger. Mason, convince Hudson!" Her orders were smug and sharp, getting Mason to put on a sad face and stare at Hudson. He tried looking away but couldn't, and sighed, waving off the others as they cheered. Woods managed to fight off a blush, but he felt lightheaded at how adorable Mason looked with those goddman puppy eyes of his. He ruffled the already messy bed hair, chuckling as Mason complained.

"Alright then, get ready, we'll leave in 20." Adler announces, walking off with Bell in tow. Mason sighs as he watched them, his eyes narrowed at Adler's retreating figure. Woods noticed and rolled his eyes, sitting on the table next to Mason and patting his shoulder.

"She's fine, man. You act like a mama polar bear." Woods laughed at his own "joke", getting a small laugh from Mason as well.

"I know...I just don't trust Adler. It bothers me, but if she's happy, then that's all that matters. Come on, Hudson is gonna get pissed if we're still.sitting out here when times up." Mason stands, stretching a bit before leading the way to their shared room. Woods dreams of them sharing a room, with one bed, with them sleeping together and him holding Mason tightly yet gently.

"Dreams aren't real, man." Is what the little nagging voice says, and it's what makes him deflate as he follows Mason.

The drive to Burger Town was full of chatter, with Bell and Sims getting into a mock argument to Hudson and Adler fighting on whether they'll be eating inside, outside, or in the car. Mason and Bell had begged to go to the nearest park with the pond and ducks, but Hudson was quick to shut down that suggestion. Mason had huffed, before turning to Woods and talking about some new educational thing he had read on some newspaper or magazine. Woods didn't pay attention to the words being said to him, no, he paid attention to how happy and content his best friend looked. When they did get to Burger Town, they decided to eat inside and Hudson immediately regretted the decision when Sims and Woods began acting up.

"Here my good sir, have my apple bits!" Sims says in a English accent. Woods shakes his head, holding up a apple slice and putting it in his shirt.

"No thank you, my good sir, for I have apple nipples!" Woods proceeded to push out his chest, where you can see the apple outline. Bell and Adler let out loud laughs and Mason choked on his shake. Sims ran up and out to the restroom, tears trailing down his face as he wheezed. Hudson was thankful it was still early in the morning and not many people were dining in, but the looks from the employees made him hide his face behind his newspaper.

"Fucking kids-" he grumbled under his breath. Mason patted Woods on the arm, still giggling as a small piece of strawberry slid down his chin.

"Frank, I spilled my drink on me, scoot over" Woods laughed at his friend, happy to know he got a good old laugh out of the usually quiet man. That's when he got an idea, and acted out on it when he heard Sims returning.

"Oh my damsel in distress! Do not worry, for I will rescue you!" Wrapping his strong arms around Mason's waist, he lifted up the somewhat lighter man and stood, smirking at the noise of surprise that left Mason. Woods walked over to the restrooms, stopping in front of the door and putting Mason down. The younger man hid his blush, a small smile tracing his lips as he awkwardly patted Woods bicep.

"Thank you, my dear prince." He plays along, his hand straying on Woods', his blush darkening and Woods felt proud to be the one to put such a pretty color on Mason's face. He leaned down instinctively, but Mason pulled away and rushed into the restroom, leaving Woods alone with his nagging thoughts once more.

"Stupid. Fucking stupid. There is no way in hell Mason likes you like that. Just good friends. Just. Friends."

Woods retreated back to the booth, forcing a smile at Bell. She tilted her head to the side, so identical like Mason's cute little head tilt, and if this was a whole other scenario where Woods didn't know Bell, he would've thought she was Mason's daughter.

"What the hell are you doing, Frank Woods." She says so casually but there was a deeper meaning in her soft voice. Woods shivered, wondering where the others were but saw them back in line, presumably to buy more food.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Emilia Emilsdóttir." He sings out her name, getting a small smirk from her. Bell leaned forward, her curly blonde hair framing her youthful face but her bright blue eyes were frighteningly dark.

"I know you'll treat Alex right, but if you make him frown even the slightest, you are dead. I worked with Perseus, remember? They won't know what happened to you if you hurt him." Adler walked over and Bell put on a friendly smile, scooting over for her fiancé. "So about that game, Woods."

Woods had paled definitely, but he knew the young woman meant good. It also gave him the boost he needed. He had to tell Mason, he had too. He couldn't stand being in this miserable loop of one sided affection. It might damage their friendship, and whatever dimmer of trust Mason has, but he always promised to tell the younger man the truth. He was done with lying.

Mason glared at his reflection, but he felt self conscious as he stared at himself. There is no way Frank Woods has any romantic feelings for him. He was just playing around, like what he always does. And sure it hurts, because Woods would never love him and he hates how Woods gives him that look, as if he was something so perfect and worthy.

"Damn it." He mumbled tiredly, averting his eyes elsewhere and ignoring the urge to look back at the taunting mirror. Someone could be there, and he was having a good time and didn't want his fucked up mind to ruin it. He walked out of the restrooms, smiling softly as he neared the table. Woods noticed him and stood, a charming smile tracing his lips as he bowed his head playfully.

"M'lady" he teases, and Mason bites his bottom lip in a weak attempt to stop his lips from tugging up in a big smile.

"Thank you, good sir" he says, sliding into his seat. Woods sat next to him, his arm hitting Mason's, and the warmth that radiated off the former Marine made Mason shiver. He looked at the addition of food and chose to distract himself from his wondering thoughts. "Did you order more food?" Sims points at Bell, who points at Adler, who then points at Hudson, only to drop his hand when the older man glared at him.

"Hey, we're growing boys!" Sims says, getting a innocent nod from Bell. Mason chuckled, about to grab one of his fries when a hand darted out and grabbed the one he was reaching for. Mason looked over at Woods, who snickered and chewed the fry he stole loudly.

"Frank Woods, you stole my french fry!" Mason says incredulously, "You gotta buy me more!" Woods turned to look at him, a grin on his lips and everyone immediately began to chant "no". The chewed up fry in Woods' mouth seeped out and Mason hit his arm, scolding him and trying to console Bell, who was encouraging Woods' behavior. Hudson groaned when he spotted an employee walk over and stood, getting everyone's attention.

"Let's go, I'm sure we're banned."

"Can we take the food?"

...

"Hurry up."

The drive back to their temporary home was also full of laughter and yells, and when they were all getting out, Bell dropped one of her many drinks. She gave one look to Adler, who nodded and they walked inside, and Woods made a joke about the two having silent conversations with their eyes. Sims laughed, but Hudson simply rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Reminds me of two good people I know." He remarks before dragging Sims inside, leaving Woods and Mason alone. Mason blushes, and he hopes he can blame it on the chilly weather as he walks over to stand next to Woods. Woods worried on his bottom lip before looking at Mason, smiling at how close the other was to him. And because of that cute little blush on his face.

"Hey Al," said man looked at him, eyes bright and that adoring look made his knees weak. "Listen, I gotta tell you something, and I want you to know that I am fine with whatever you have to say."

Mason tilted his head, "I won't judge you, Frank. You can tell me anything."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Woods got on one knee and held Mason's left hand. "Alex Mason, since the first day I lay my eyes on you, I have loved you. You filled my empty heart, you made me believe that the world can be a better place. Your smile, it's always the highlight of my day, and I know, it's all cheesy or whatever kids say these days, but I love you. I have always loved you, and I understand if you don't feel the same, especially with everything that has happened these past years." Taking out a circle shaped object out of his pocket, Woods held it up with a dorky smile. Mason's eyes filled with tears he refused to shed, but they fell anyways. He inspected the object closer and let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.

"Frank Woods, is that a onion ring?" Woods shrugged, giving him a goofy look.

"Maybe, maybe not. But Al, would you take this ring and make me the happiest man on this crappy planet, and go out with me?" Silence settled over them, and Woods felt stupid for a second before he was tackled to the ground. Mason's arms wrapped around his neck and he embraced his newfound lover, his body shaking as he let out a small sob.

"I love you so much, Frank." He whispers, pulling away and smiling at the older man. Woods grinned, holding the piece of food still.

"So..." Mason laughed, gently hitting Woods on the chest and grabbing the onion ring, putting it on his ring finger. Woods leaned forward and captured those soft lips, his heart thrumming against his chest as Mason lightly deepened the kiss. It was slow paced but quick, full of love and passion. They pulled away, but their hands remained interwine with one another.

"I love you, Frank Woods."

"I love you more, Alex Mason."

[hedgehogsaretheultimatelifeform]

Old Friends

Chapter Three

Russell Adler x GN!Bell Reader

A Black Ops Cold War cop AU

Masterpost

Chapter Two

Aceworks Laundromat

Thursday, April 15

1:15 pm

“It’s the same as at the bakery.” Mason stood close to the wall, studying the mural spread over the metal sheet. “As you said, like it was printed.”

You nodded, sealing the samples you had collected. “Hopefully, these will give us some answers.”

“How is a finish like this even possible?” Mason stepped back around the edges of the circle.

“My guess is the tests will prove that this is spray paint.”

Woods straightened up. “You think this was stencilled?”

You nodded.

“Stencilling being…?” Mason asked.

“It’s used a lot in graffiti. A pre-cut stencil is placed on the wall or wherever, and then you spray the paint over it. Pull the stencil away, and you have your mural.” Woods explained.

You stood back, framing the mural with your hands. “At that size, you’d need a pretty big stencil.”

“It’d have to be four, five feet wide. You’d need someone to hold it up while you painted. Or a couple of people.” Woods agreed, glancing around the room. “Meaning that at least three people were here with a thing five by five feet, and somehow there’s not a single trace of them.”

“Even how they got in?” You asked.

Mason shook his head. “Nothing that we can see. No forced doors, picked locks, broken windows.”

“Fire escapes?”

“The doors here are rigged to the alarm, so it would have gone off, and all doors were locked and accounted for at the bakery.”

“Strange. The fire door was broken open in the apartment block.” You sighed.

“We keep coming across these weird differences. The two we uncovered are what- ten minutes away from each other?- and then one,” Mason looked at you, shrugging, “ what, an hour away in a different part of the city?”

“Let’s head back and get a look at the files. There’s something to this.” Woods replied, tossing Mason the car keys.

“Gotta go via the labs, first.” Mason led the way back out of the laundromat, the three of you ducking around the police tape over the door.

“And lunch.” Woods added, after checking his watch.

“Didn’t you bring lunch with you today?” Mason asked.

“Well, yeah. But did Bell?” Woods looked over his shoulder at you, grinning.

You sucked in a breath. “No. I don’t have any lunch.”

Woods cheered. “Lunch on the way too, then! What do you feel like? Pizza, tacos, hot dogs?”

“Goddammit.” Mason shook his head. “Why do I even try?”

After you’d grabbed lunch, on Woods by his own insistence, the three of you returned to the office. Woods spent the elevator ride up trying to remember when the vending machine was last restocked, with the purpose of estimating the likelihood of a certain snack being available, with Mason arguing that he had literally just eaten. You stayed quiet through the conversation, mulling over the crime scenes in your head until the doors opened to an eerie almost silence.

The three of you stepped out, walking to join the others, who were staring at the closed door and drawn blinds of Hudson’s office, the only indication that there was anyone in there being the muffled yelling.

“So. Adler’s in, I take it?” Mason broke the silence, keeping his voice low, none of your eyes moving from the office door.

“Yep.” Sims replied.

“And he’s taking the news of our liaison officer well, I see.” Woods reached down to Lazar’s desk, trying to grab the bag of chips that Lazar snatched away last second.

“Indeed.” Park folded her hands on the desk.

“Is this something we should be worried about?” Lazar looked at you.

You shrugged. “No idea.”

“Surely you’re the one who should know? You two had a big falling out or something?” Woods’ comment caused everyone to turn to you.

“Not that I’m aware of.” You paused for a moment, brow furrowing. “He just… stopped talking to me one day, just after we both made sergeant. Then, I got transferred away, so...” You shook your head, hoping no one would ask further. One, because you didn’t want to get stuck in the loop of repeating that you didn’t know, and two, you had enough on your plate before having to rethink that whole story.

“Because of him?” Sims passed Lazar a file. “I always thought your transfer was weirdly abrupt.”

You chuckled. “No. Hudson’s never liked me. Got rid of me the first chance he got.”

“So what did happen?”

“That’s it. We just stopped talking. That’s all I know.” You sighed, shaking your shoulders to release the tension that had been building. “Is there a desk I’ll be able to use?”

“The one opposite mine’s empty.” Sims pointed to the desk opposite his, currently in use as his paper overflow space.

“Cool. Let’s get some work done.” You moved forward, prompting everyone else around you to go. “Park, where did you get to with the files?”

“Not very far,” she admitted. “Lazar started compiling the crime scene reports and I started going through the witness statements, but there’s a lot of them, given that the crime was in a residential building.”

“I was chasing the reports from the crime techs. They said we’d get them in a couple days.” Sims cleared his excess paper stacks off your desk as Woods provided a chair from seemingly nowhere.

“That seems like a while for a major murder case.” Park frowned. “Preliminary reports don’t take that long.”

“It’s not a preliminary report- that’s somewhere in those files.” You nodded to them. “It’ll be the in-depth sweeps they did yesterday and the sweep they did this morning after the fire.”

“How bad was it?” Mason asked, already dreading the answer from your face.

“There wasn’t anything left. Whole scene was destroyed.”

“Shit.” Woods was echoed in various flavours by the others as they moved to their desks.

“And, we should be getting another round of witness statements about the fire some time today Or tomorrow.” You emptied your pockets of your knick knacks, arranging them on the desk, turning to face your team. “Sims, help Lazar- focus on comparing the scenes at the laundromat and the bakery with the apartment block, with as much detail as you can. Mason, Woods, Park and I will work through the witness statements. I want everyone on the same page as soon as possible.”

Everyone let out a sound of agreement, Sims grabbed the files Lazar passed him, both moving to pour them over Lazar’s desk. Park passed each of you, Mason and Woods a stack of statements, the four of you putting your heads down and getting to work.

“Feels nice to have you working on the floor with us, Bell.” Woods commented, not long after.

“Feels good to be here. Makes working together a lot easier.”

“Adler would disagree.” Mason nodded towards another office you’d not noticed before. “Stays in his own little office whenever he’s working.”

“He gets an office? I don’t get an office.” You sat back from your work, indignant.

“Isn’t the 96 one of the most underfunded precincts in the city?”

“‘Underfunded’ is an exaggeration, but kinda, yeah.” You shrugged.

“Hold on.” Mason held up his hand.

“What?” Park looked up.

“Yeah.” Woods sat up. “Can’t you hear it?”

You sat for a few moments in silence until you realised what was wrong- it was silent.

“They’ve stopped yelling at each other.”

“Is that good or bad?” Park leaned over as you all turned to stare at the office door again.

“Who knows?” Sims and Lazar looked up, before your heads all snapped back to your work as the door began to open. Park passed you a statement, pointing out a detail the pair of you intently focused on as you heard the door swing open, then slam shut, an awkward almost silence followed, which Sims broke by standing up.

“I’m getting coffee- Lazar? Park?”

“No, thank you.” Park replied, swapping the statement she was reading.

“Usual for me and Mason.” You looked around as Woods spoke, laying your eyes on Adler for the first time in nearly ten years. He paused a few steps away from the office door, presumably looking over the assembled team.

“Your usual, doc?” Adler stirred, nodding to Sims, who then turned to you. “And Bell, I don’t know how you take your coffee.”

You gave Sims your coffee order, thanking him as he nodded and headed into the breakroom, Lazar not far behind him.

Adler only turned to look at you after Sims had spoken to you, sighing out through his nose as he approached.

“Welcome to the 67, Sargent.”

“Thank you.” You replied, leaning back in your chair as you stared at the reflection of yourself on his sunglasses. He nodded, and turned away into his office, the door clicking shut behind him.

You turned back to find Park, Mason and Woods looking at you out of the corner of their eyes.

“What?” you asked, picking up another witness statement. “Were you expecting something?”

“I don’t know.” Woods shrugged.

“A fight to the death?” Sims had returned, handing the first round of coffee out to Mason, Woods and Park. You raised your eyebrows at Sims, somewhat unamused. “I’m just saying, Bell. Adler was real mad at you for a long time.”

“Well, I wasn’t.” You replied, feeling a little sick of everyone digging into you with questions.

“Will whatever that whole thing is be a problem to the case?” Park asked, looking towards Adler’s door.

“Nah.” Lazar shook his head, arriving with your and Park’s coffee. “Adler’s a professional. He may not like Bell, but he’ll keep that out of the job.”

You took a sip of your coffee. “Then, we’re all good.”

—————————————————————————————————

Chapter Four

[the-ce-horniest-book-club]

Last Chance Prompt Fest

Today is the day that our Last Chance Prompt Fest starts.

To take part, you don’t need to claim a prompt through us at all, you just find a prompt you like, create what you want to create and then tag us @the-ce-horniest-book-club​ and use the hashtag “CE HBC Last Chance Prompt Fest”. You can also DM your link to us to ensure we see it.

The event starts today, Friday, August 27th and ends next Friday, September 3, 2021.

Once the event has ended, we will answer the ask for the prompts that received creations. We will also have a masterlist for everything created as well.

Who can we create for?

You can create stuff for Steve Rogers, Chris Evans or any of Chris’s 18+ characters.

What can we create?

While the CE HBC is primarily a writing community, these events are to encourage creators of all types. So for this event, you can write, make moodboards, create a playlist, make a video or whatever you are inspired to create based on the prompts under the keep reading.

All of the prompts are listed below the cut and it does not matter how many things are created for each prompt.

Chris Evans Prompts

Could you do one with chris where the reader is eating something delicious and Chris hears them and tries to distract them with smutty things but the reader picks the treat over Chris. (Just had yams that tasted like my grandma used to make years ago, and I’ll pick that over Chris right now lol)

It’s hot AF where I live and we all know Chris doesn’t like the hot temps… so maybe something about trying to beat the heat

How many rounds was that? Four? God, we’re about to break our own record. With Chris? 😍

That’s a lot of sass for someone who ruined my sheets and still hasn’t apologized. With Chris?

Prompt: being friends with Chris and helping and supporting him with ASP too. When the news hit that Biden won your together and after squealing, he just grabs and kisses you.

Chris Evans brushing his heavily pregnant wife’s hair

Chris introducing you to his family for the first time

Readers reaction when Chris has to shave off his beard for a role and doesn’t tell her?

Hey i had an idea. she faked her orgasm because she has trouble cum.  Chris finds out and is angry because she hasn’t said anything and doubts his abilities?  then he brings her to orgasm

Chris playing Christmas songs on the piano while you wrap presents or something where he keeps you company while you’re doing something else

Ari Levinson Prompts

Cowboy Ari Levinson helping you out after he finds you on his ranch

Curtis Everett Prompts

Trying to have quiet sex with Curtis behind a curtain.

Frank Adler Prompts

Frank Adler gets a new neighbor - reader who is just as intelligent as his family and they like each other right away.

Nick Vaughn Prompts

Nick Vaughan keeping you company on the streets of New York

Steve Rogers Prompts

“I’m your Captain and you follow my orders!” “Aye, aye Cap’n!” “I said Captain, not pirate.”

“Hey Steve, what does a deaf gynecologist do?” “I don’t know.” “He reads lips.”

How about a drunk drabble based off of Right Girl Wrong Time by Jon Langston with Steve and Peggy

someone should write a steve and bucky threesome with a reader

“Yeah sex is great but have you just ever wanted to rub yourself over that fucking beard of Steve’s?”

I have a prompt for you. Steve has fallen in love with the Motown sound since Sam has played most of the genre for him. He has gone shopping, or gone for coffee and he hears you sing a song from the Supremes and is instantly intrigued. Have fun seducing him with music. https://youtu.be/HXGz8i0I2L0

It’s the first Christmas Steve has spent with y/n

Reader making Steve a heart cake for Valentine’s Day ❤️

Multiple Options Prompts

Can I get the following prompt with Steve, Colin, or Jensen? “In ancient Greece, throwing an apple was done to declare one’s love.” “How do I love thee, let me count the ways? Thump, thump, thump.” “So the mild concussion means you love me?”

Could I get “I see that you have your legal name listed as Y/n’s Daddy. That’s incorrect. You’re legal name is what’s on your Drivers Licence.” With any of Chris’ characters please?

SFW Prompts

For Chris or one of his characters, there is only one bed and they got to sleep far apart but wake up cuddling. Bonus points if they don’t hate it.

“Just tell why you did it!” “Because I’m in love with you, okay?!”

How about they’re roommates and “just friends” who develop feelings for each other

“You always say that, but I’d only see you for a day or two until you have to fly out again.”

“You don’t have to say anything, if you don’t want. I just thought you should know.”

i have been in love with you, dumbass

“If you don’t hug me right now I think I might fall apart.”

I have these… powers raging around inside me, and I have no clue how to control them.

“Hey, it’s cold. Light a fire or something. I swear, you’re a cold blooded reptile.”

that guy in the gorilla costume has been following us for the past ten blocks.

going to a masquerade ball

“So, you’re the unfortunate soul stuck with me.”

“I look at you and I think, ‘sunshine. Literal sunshine.’ It’s annoying.”

“Don’t you dare throw that snowba-, goddammit!”

“What’s with the box?”

“I’m not jealous.”

“It’s not like I love you or anything.”

Merlin quote prompt: Nobility is defined by what you do, not by who you are

“Why do you keep pushing me away? I know you love me.”

“I want to go home.” “And I want to go to the moon. It ain’t happening sweetheart. Time to accept that.”

“I just want you to know I love you and I hope these roses prove that to you.”

Prompt: “if you steal all the blankets I’m going to put my cold feet on you.”

“What have we here? Bed: unslept in. Hair in… missionary disarray. And yesterday’s dress with today’s shame all over it.” Gossip Girl

Every time I’m in the same room with her, I can’t decide if I want to pick a fight with her or push her up against a wall and kiss the fuck out of her. - Falling for My Enemy by Claire Kingsley

“The worst thing is, that even after all of that, I’m still in love with you.”

NSFW Prompts

“Wet pussy is the best. I can’t get enough of the juices dripping from my mouth.”

“She beauty, she grace, I want her pussy on my face.”

“Sheathing my cock inside you feels like a jam donut being torn in half. Delicious and mind blowing.”

Twist on quarantine haircuts: couple helping each other with pubic hair maintenance

“I don’t know if you’re looking for Aztek gold down there, but if you don’t hurry up and fuck my brains out I’ll do it my damn self!”

“Have you ever noticed how eating a hot dog is similar to giving deepthroat?” “No but thanks, I don’t want to eat this now.”

Babe I can’t sleep. I know you just woke me up. Wanna fuck? I’m awake!!!

“I don’t know who you think you’re talking to but I’m about to punish that sassy mouth!”

“I love your longish hair baby. Finally got something to pull while you’re between my legs devouring me.”

Holiday Prompts

“Great, now I have to re-hide your Christmas gifts.”

“I’m not going to kiss you under the mistletoe.”

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”

“What are you doing?” “Hiding from carolers.”

“Santa’s handwriting looks suspiciously like yours.”

“Why does the house smell like a cinnamon roll threw up?”

“Are you Santa? Because I’d sit on your lap.”

“YES I BOOBY TRAPPED THE PRESENTS BECAUSE YOU DO THIS EVERY FUCKING YEAR”

“What the hell kind of Charlie Brown Christmas tree did you buy?”

“It looks like the North Pole threw up.”

i may or may not have gotten tangled up in the tinsel.

“If we don’t have this damn tree up before the end of the night, I’m going to kill you.”

“I’m going to tell Santa to give you coal.”

“It’s an advent calendar. You’re supposed to open one square a day, not eat half the chocolate in a sitting.”

“Why is there mistletoe in every room of the apartment?”

I got a little too drunk off of egg nog and vodka and you look so pretty in this light, and I most definitely want to kiss you right now, best friends or not.

we were going to a Christmas party but fuck if you don’t just look sinful in red, and you know what? Fuck that Christmas party.

Dad!chris (or one of his characters) and his kids at Christmas

“You’ve never had a New Year’s kiss?”

Spending your first Valentine’s Day together with any character

[lunarastrobabe]

Rafe Adler x Sam Drake- Deja Vu

(Fluff/little angst)

The heavy summer rain poured outside, a few cracks of thunder rumbled through the cloudy sky with multiple bolts of lightning shining through the cracks in the black curtains. Sam stared at the alarm clock that sat on his bedside table, waiting anxiously for the numbers to change. “Shit.” He mumbled to himself, rubbing his tired eyes and sitting up, his bare chest covered in cuts and bruises, including the three bullet holes on his abdomen. Grabbing his worn brown v-neck t-shirt from the edge of the bed, he slid it on and picked up his phone, if he couldn’t sleep, then coffee was the only solution.

He dragged his sluggish body down the staircase, the beige carpeted floor feeling soft against his bare feet. His thumb scrolling through multiple text messages, mostly from Nate or Sullivan asking when he was coming to visit them again. He switched on the main light as he entered the kitchen, squinting his eyes at the stinging sensation. Sighing he grabbed a clean cup and setting it under the spout.

“C’mon you stupid machine,” He grumbled, pressing multiple buttons until it made a grinding noise. “Finally!” He said, a little bit of joy in his voice, taking it by the handle and bringing the mug to his lips. Noticing his packet of cigarettes and his silver lighter near the back door, he hesitated for a moment, as he had promised his brother he would give up smoking after they left the motel in Madagascar. ‘Well, one couldn’t hurt, right?’ He thought to himself. Shrugging, he pushed open the door to the back yard, the warm summer heat mixed with the earthy smell relaxed his mind. Leaning against the door frame, he took another gulp of the coffee and put the cigarette in between his lips.

The smell of his dirty prison cell, a snoring inmate in the other bed beside the wall. Stuck in this shit hole for thirteen years, he thought he would never get out, either alive or dead. The confused yet, ecstatic feeling when the guard let him out of his cell, saying somebody was here to bail him out. Nathan was the first person who came to mind. The hot sun beaming down on the prison, looking at this place the first time he arrived here in search for the treasure, he just knew it was a bad place to be in. Sweat and blood of the inmates that were imprisoned here, seeped through every room and wall he walked through, even in his own cell. Every night, he rarely slept, all he could hear was fighting, yelling, and sometimes even singing, and not just by the inmates. The guards would whistle as they patrolled the halls.

“Hello, Samuel.” Rafe said with a smirk on his face, placing a hand on his shoulder. Sam didn’t know what to think or feel, he was unsure as to whether this was a dream or not. Was it a dream? Was it reality?

Years later, he and Rafe had grown close, closer everyday, even when working with his irritating ass, Sam still saw the good in him. A few times they had nights together where Sam had made him his own. Nights where they would just hold each other for hours. Those moments he thought about everyday since Rafe’s death, he missed him, more so than he ever thought he would, even after the betrayal when Nate had found out the truth.

He smiled to himself remembering the past, but soon turned into a frown and lit the cigarette, taking a long, puff. He looked ahead of him, into the darkness, his eyes flickering from the little garden lights to the stars in the sky. Still, he felt alone, he felt as though his destiny was unfulfilled. He thought Avery’s Treasure was his true destiny.

Few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, Sam jumped a little at the sound, the half lit cigarette falling out of his mouth and onto the wet grass below. He groaned. “And that was my last one. Goddammit.” He said to himself. walked back inside, closing the door behind him and placed the mug in the sink. Running his fingers through his hair he made his way to the front door, grabbing his pistol that sat under the doormat. He leaned against the door before swinging it open, only to be unprepared for who was standing in front of him.

The flashbacks. The pain. The heartache. Sam knew that all too well. He hid it from everyone. He thought that finding Avery's treasure would make him feel, satisfied. Hoping it would fill that deep hole that plagued his heart. The survivors guilt he had dealt with every single day since their last encounter, he had never expected to see that particular face again standing in the middle of his living-room at three in the morning. All their history flashed before his eyes, he felt as though he was being crushed by thousands of bricks, just piling on top of him. In his mind, it was a hell he couldn’t escape from.

"Samuel." Rafe said, taking a step forward, pursing his lips slightly and looking at the ground before his eyes connected with Sam. His hair slicked back as it always was, every little strand perfectly sculpted into place, along with dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep.

The anger built up inside his chest, "You son of a-," Sam threw a fist at him, his beaten and bruised knuckles coming into contact with Rafe's jaw. The memory of nearly getting killed on that ship burned through his mind. His fists unclenched, feeling as though the physical contact calmed his anger. He sighed, watching the man hold his cheek in his hand, trying to ignore the searing pain.

"I thought you had died back on that goddamn ship!" He yelled, pained and bewildered. He glanced over at him as he rubbed his sore knuckles, so many questions circling his head, wondering how he escaped, noticing the scars from his recent wounds, and why he had suddenly come back. The stabbing feeling in his heart was unbearable. Rafe stared at him, his eyebrows relaxed and the guilt of abandoning him was overpowering.

“Samuel, I-,” But before he could explain, Sam cut him off.

“No you can’t be here, there’s no fucking way.” He tried to turn himself away and choke back the tears already forming in his eyes. He refused to be let down again, he didn’t want more heartbreak.

“Hey! Look at me,” The soothing tone in Rafe’s voice calmed him down. He relaxed, controlling his breathing. He took Sam’s face in his hands, caressing his cheek with his thumb. “It’s me. I’m here. I’m alive.” It took a few seconds longer to realise his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him and that he had emerged from the dead and back into his life. His eyebrows furrowed, looking at the man he had fell in love with, all those years ago. His chest tightened at his touch, the butterflies in his stomach returned after the prolonged absence.

They sat together on the couch, discussing for hours about the traumatic events that had occurred both apologising to each other for everything that had happened and all the lies that were told.

It was now seven thirty in the morning, feeling the sleep deprivation kicking in, Rafe laid down on his back and opened his arms for Sam, all he wanted to do was hold him and comfort him after being without him for so long.

“C’mere.” He whispered. Sam moved closer and wrapped his arms around Rafe’s waist, laying in between his legs, resting his head on his chest. He listened to his heartbeat, that thumping sound that he never forgot. He breathed in his scent and felt his heart strings being pulled.

“I missed you.” Rafe mumbled, pressing a light kiss to his head, running his fingers through his hair.

“I missed you too.” Sam replied. But there was one more thing he wanted to do. He sat up slightly, and looked into his eyes again. Nothing could compare to the connection they had together. Rafe’s fingertips ran up and down Sam’s side, he always had the most gentle touch when he was with him.

Sam leaned in slowly, his left hand holding Rafe’s cheek, their lips parting slightly before joining together, holding onto each other, worried that if they let go, they would disappear.

Although Sam felt like there was more to explore out in the world, he knew having Rafe back in his arms once again, could be the start of a new adventure.

[thehumantrampoline]

So I really love your passion about Sherlock Holmes, I only know it through adaptations as I'm not very good with reading mysteries (I can deal with watching because I can see the time till the end of the episode/movie and know when it's all going to be revealed, but trying to read one makes me feel dumb as none of the threads come together until the characters literally tie them together for me and when I get to the reveal depends entirely on my love of reading not wandering off at a moment's notice and vanishing for 6+ months). But anyway, what other characters do you feel get woefully over or under used in adaptations?

okay okay okay, first, get that, been there, 100% feel you, but since you didn't mention which adaptations you'd seen and that tiktok did definitely make its way out of Granada fan tumblr, I am legally required to tell you that if you want an actual good adaptation that's close to the stories, you should check out the 80s Granada TV show. it doesn't queerbait, because it was the 80s and nobody was interested in baiting queers yet, but it's very gay anyway simply because Holmes and Watson clearly care about and respect each other, and Jeremy Brett who played Holmes was BISEXUALLLL and he brought that queer energy!!! he knew what the fuck he was doing with those eyes!!!!!!! okay okay anyway

nearly all of Doyle's characters are one offs because he gave no fucks about continuity, so if you're adapting story to story like Granada, technically nobody is overused or underused. But adaptations which take the stories as a creative jumping off place, like……… Well, we'll say elementary, because that's a good one, and leave the rest unsaid -- love to latch onto Irene Adler and make her a recurring sexy menace when all she really wanted to do was fuck off and get married. John Clay DESERVES her recurring menace role, although I do want to clarify that I am NOT advocating for him as an adaptational love interest. Fanfic, like........... maybe lol, I'd read it, but the only LI I want to see in an adaptation is the one who wrote stories about him for decades!!!!!

anyway, none of this was the actual question. Lestrade isn't overused as a character but he is overused as a minor antagonist. They are friends, goddammit! Holmes is a little cheeky sometimes but he likes Lestrade and Lestrade has specifically communicated that he and Scotland Yard appreciate and respect Holmes!! and Holmes almost cried about it!!! as for minor characters I'd like to see more of, I love my girl Kitty Winter from "the illustrious client," she gets royally fucked over by a predator and when Holmes offers her an opportunity to wreck his life she says HELL YES and I have some ideas of my own I'd like to bring to the table, how about I throw ACID on his FACE, amazing stupendous incredible. Most of his female clients are tough as nails tbh, they have to be to come to a private detective with a problem the police won't listen to. Honorary mention to Violet Smith of "the solitary cyclist," like, if I had to pick one lesbian coded bitch to put my money on??? She's an Avid Bicycle Rider, I'm just saying, and the guts it takes to turn your bike around and chase your stalker has me swooning, date me Violet Smith, we both know your fiancé is made up

[hauerr77-and-a-dream]

bell x sims ? :))

Delicious, finally some bell rare-pairs. I’ve also made Bell male in this because this fandom needs more mlm content!

And as always, my inbox is open if anyone would like to make some requests!

Sims x m!Bell HCs

Warnings: mentions of trauma, PTSD, brief mention of needles

Sims honestly didn’t care much for Bell at the beginning. They needed some of his Vietnam experiences for MK-Ultra, and although he understood why they did it, he didnt like that there was some Soviet running around with HIS memories.

So, he tried his best to ignore Bell. Keeping conversations short and brief, if he didn’t need to talk to this guy, he wasn’t going to. His time in Vietnam really took a toll on his mind, he originally assumed that since Bell never was there, he wouldn’t have the similar issues

Sims gets nightmares very often, especially about Vietnam. It’s normal for someone to find Sims awake at unusual hours of the night, often tinkering with his gadgets trying to clear his mind and shake the images of war from behind his eyes

One night at the E9 safe house however, he notices Bell wandering around when everyone else was sleeping. His first thought is that Bell must know something, that he’s up to no good. So, he goes and confronts Bell, demanding to know why he is up, only to immediately feel bad for assuming the worst when Bell awkwardly admits to having a nightmare.

This is the first time Sims really starts to understand what they had done to this guy, like really done, and he invites Bell to have a drink with him, offering to listen if Bell wanted to talk about it.

Over time, this starts to become a frequent occurrence, the two of them running into each other after nightmares. Sims even slowly begins to open up to Bell, talking about the scenes that haunt him. It’s therapeutic, for both of them.

The more time they spend like this, Sims starts to realize that he is growing attached to Bell, something Adler advised everyone against, all things considered. When Sims realizes just what kind of feeling he is starting to have towards Bell, he gets very scared, in more than one way, and decides to avoid him, wanting to avoid these feelings turning into anything else.

You thought he avoided Bell when they first met? Oh no... that was nothing. It hurts his heart to see Bells face when he sees them late at night, wanting to talk and he tells them he’s not in the mood, but he tries to convince himself it’s for Bell’s own good. Won’t Bell hate him once he realizes what was done to him? Besides, it’s not like this Bell was really who he was, he was just a heartless Soviet.... right?

But after Cuba, seeing Bell strapped down to the stretcher, hearing him plead to Sims for help, and that he was scared, do all the feelings come bubbling back up to the surface and he finds himself holding Bell’s hand throughout the entire process as Adler injects needles through Bell’s eye.

When Bell wakes up again, Sims doesn’t let go of his hand, he even finds himself reassuring Bell that everything is going to be okay. When Adler demands to know where Perseus, Bell looks over at Sims, their eyes locking at he stutters the word “Solovetsky”

After the fight at Solovetsky, he is quick to pick up on the fact that something is off when Adler asks Bell if he wanted to go on a walk with him. After all, Sims has known Adler for quite sometime, and he decides to follow them.

Sims refuses to let Bell get hurt, jumping into the scene when he realizes what Adler is about to do out on that cliff, begging him not to kill Bell.

The two get into a very heated argument, all while Bell remains standing quietly behind Sims as he and Alder scream at each other. It is during this argument that Sims lets it slip that they can’t kill Bell, because he loves him, goddammit!

It goes very quiet after this, all three of them in shock over what Sims just admitted to. At least until Adler starts laughing,

“You can’t possibly love him! You know nothing of the real Bell!” He exclaims, raising his pistol. “Now move.”

Sims shakes his head, reaching behind him to grab Bell’s hand, which is shaking. “If you’re going to kill Bell, you’re going to have to kill me first.”

There’s a long standoff between the two as Adler contemplates killing one of his oldest friends, before he finally lowers the gun with a sigh. He gives them thirty seconds to be out of his sight.

Sims looks back at Bell, seeing the scared look in his eyes, like the look he had back when he was strapped down to the stretcher.

Sims grabs Bell’s other hand, given them a squeeze and nods, reassuring him that things will be okay. The two of them off together, away from Adler, away from the CIA, away from it all....

[legosi-and-louis-are-in-love]

What if Louis had went to Legosi for comfort tho...

Louis stood in front of a drab, rusted metal door. It looked so appropriately plain he couldn’t help but think to smile. His mouth didn’t receive the message, though.

The past few days had been hell for him, to say the least. He couldn’t get the faces in the crowd he had seen at the funeral out of his head. He did not recognize a single one of them aside from the butlers, and aside from them not a single one of those faces seemed to hold any grief. Was he doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps and die with no friends or loved ones? 

He recalled that this was the train of thought that brought him here, into this ancient rotting building his closest friend called home. He had never been inside but he knew where it was, and a quick inquiry at the desk had brought him to the appropriate room. It was late enough that he was sure the wolf was home, although no sounds emanated from the room to suggest this. 

He had fought the impulse at first. Legosi was busy training. He needed to focus if he was going to win this thing and live. Louis desperately didn’t want Legosi to rely on his other leg. Louis needed to give him space and keep the wolf’s head in the game. Even if it burned him to the core thinking about how quickly he had become attached to his long lost childhood friend who now gave him no time of day. 

This was probably the other thought that brought him here. He remembered last year when he derided Juno for being selfish, and she asked him why that was seen as a bad thing. That memory pushed the switch in his mind from ‘no’ to ‘yes’ when he asked himself if he could go see Legosi. He was selfish. He needed to be with someone else right now. 

He looked down at his emaciated form, holding his hands up and staring at them. His right hand clenched and moved forward. Slowly but surely, it inched toward the door until it made contact noiselessly. Why was he so nervous? If anything, Legosi always seemed to be the nervous one around him. He couldn’t even imagine what it must be like to talk to an animal you had eaten a part of. Was it torture for Legosi to be around him? Was this all a big mistake?

No. Louis was selfish. He knocked once, and a thud soon resounded from behind the door. What followed were sounds of scrambling and claws on wood and soft grumbles. His mouth finally caught the signal from before and formed a smile. 

The wolf that opened the door had very obviously just woken up. Legosi wore an old t-shirt that he either outgrew or had shrunk in the wash, exposing his soft, fuzzy stomach. Below he wore a simple pair of briefs. His expression turned from tired to tired-yet-surprised when he realized who was in front of him. 

“L-Louis-san? Uh...hi! This isn’t...well it’s not...you...” 

Louis simply crossed his arms and let the wolf try and figure out what he wanted to say. He was gesticulating frantically, a trademark of his. 

“...s-so you see, I wasn’t expecting company, so I don’t have anything to offer you or...” 

Louis decided he had let him suffer long enough. With a raise of his slender hand, he hushed the mutt up. “It’s fine. Can we talk?”

Legosi’s irises dilated slightly. “Sure!” He proceeded to not move. 

“...inside?”, Louis suggested. 

Defeated, Legosi’s ears wilted slightly. “Okay...” He turned around, and Louis noticed his tail wagging lightly. Legosi could have a good pokerface sometimes, but never a good pokerbutt. 

Louis commended himself silently for his little joke. 

As Legosi had said, the place was a bit of a mess. What little clothes in his possession laid haphazardly along the floor and across some furniture, as they had likely not been picked up when they had been stripped off the wolf’s body. A recently used futon lay in the corner, and immediately to Louis’s right was a stove, minifridge, and small cabinet. Aside from the small table in the center of the room, that’s all Legosi’s home consisted of. 

Louis walked over to the only zabuton by the table and sat upon it, leaving Legosi to stand awkwardly for a moment before he opened the cabinet in the “kitchen” area and pulled out a box of crackers and a paper plate.  “It’s fine, Legosi. I’m not hungry.” 

“Your stomach is growling.” Legosi looked at him with concern, and Louis attempted to cover up his body. 

A few seconds later, the gracious feast was placed on the table, and Legosi sat upon his bed, facing Louis. He looked expectantly at him. Louis grabbed a cracker and nibbled at it.

“So, what did you want to talk about, Louis-san?”

Louis placed the barely eaten cracker down. “Well, I just wanted to check in and see how the training is going.” 

Legosi’s ears twitched. “Oh! Well, I think it’s going well. Knowing Kyuu-san trained with Gouhin-san gives us a connection. I still don’t think I can hit her, though...”

Louis wanted to cover his ears and scream. Why did he have to ask that question? It was time to switch gears. “So, this dump, eh?” 

Legosi cocked his head, unprepared for the sudden subject change. “Well, it’s about the only place I can afford. I had to get rid of my cell phone to even afford it consistently...” 

“So that’s why you never asked for my number? We need an easier way to contact each other.” Louis felt lightheaded as he said this. He reached back for his unfinished cracker. 

Legosi stared for a moment. “So, you’ve thought about trying to become a Beastar with me?” 

Louis finished the cracker. “Sure. We should at least lay some groundwork, no?” “Well, there’s a landline in the lobby you can contact me with.”

“Alright, old man.”

Louis ate from the plate as the room entered silence. Legosi played with the covers beneath him as he very obviously tried not to stare at Louis’s prosthesis, which was showing from where his pant leg was being pulled up by his sitting position. 

“My dad died a week ago.” 

Both animals held a shocked expression. Louis covered his mouth and looked away. Legosi was on his hands and knees, but still kept his distance. 

“Wh-wh-wh-why didn’t you tell me? Are you okay? Do you need anything? Did you have the funeral already? How did it happen?”

The wolf’s endless questions turned into a buzz in Louis’s ears. He just stared blankly at him, feeling numb. 

It took a while before he realized Legosi had stopped talking. “It was a car accident. I had to arrange the funeral and pick up all his business dealings. I’m the CEO of Horns now.” He delivered the information in a monotone voice, trying to distance himself from it. 

“I-is that why you look so sick?” Legosi, blunt as always. 

“I suppose.” 

“You need help! Maybe a doctor! Is anybody helping you? You should have told me!” 

Louis stared back, noting how Legosi still positioned himself too far away to make contact. He noted his large hands lifting off the floor a few times, but they always found their way back to their original position. He recalled the first Adler performance when he had woken up in the nurse’s office. Weak and frail. Was that how Legosi was seeing him right now. 

The image in his mind shifted. Now they were atop a concrete slab outcropped from a bridge on a cold, winter night. Legosi bleeding heavily. The warm feeling in the deer’s eyes back then returned. The wolf in front of him blurred. 

Dammit, what was it about him that brought this disgusting feeling? 

Seeing the tears drop from the deer’s face caused Legosi’s arms to raise up farther, and he scootched forward on his knees slightly, but alas, he remained out of reach. Louis stayed planted on the zabuton, crying silently. 

“Wh-what should I do, Louis-san? Please, tell me what I should do!” Legosi sounded desperate now, and Louis equally so. 

“Wh-what can you do?”, he managed through the tears. 

“Yes!” 

Louis looked Legosi straight in the eyes, brows furrowing, teeth and fists clenched. 

“COMFORT ME, GODDAMMIT!” 

Pure surprise washed over Legosi’s face, and Louis buried his own in his hands. It was pointless. Legosi couldn’t be what Louis wanted. What he denied he craved. Every time he stared at his large, carnivore body, he disgustingly felt safety instead of danger. He had continuously tried to deny his affinity for carnivores. It was a spit in the face to the suffering he had endured as a child. At best, he should hold power over carnivores to assert his strength. Protection and affection were desires best left in his subconscious. He needed to leave. 

Fortunately, Louis found he couldn’t move. He opened his eyes and now found himself tucked snugly between Legosi’s legs. The wolf sat cross-legged on the futon, enveloping the deer as best he could with his limbs while also being conscious of his antlers. His cold nose pressed onto the sensitive spot where his neck met his shoulder, causing Louis to shiver and grip at the soft, gray fur of his best friend. 

The sobbing started. “I-I miss him, Legosi! I miss him so fucking much! I never thought I could miss him this much!” 

“I know, Louis-san! It’s okay, I have you! You’re okay!” 

Louis choked and gasped. It was amazing, the feeling of Legosi around him. It was something he had unconsciously been desiring ever since that night he and the Shishigumi had found Legosi snooping around in the Black Market. He now understood why he had let that hug go uninterrupted for more than a few seconds. He wouldn’t make the same mistake pf pushing him away this time. 

Even if he tried, it would have been fruitless. The wolf had a firm grip on him. If he had been prey, he would have been dead. Louis dragged his snot-filled nose across Legosi’s neck, making pitiful noises. Only Legosi could see this side of him. Just as he had on New Year’s. It was only appropriate. 

The light-headedness returned, and Louis saw stars. His arms turned cold as he felt himself go limp. 

~       

Louis awoke to the sound of a tea kettle whistling. His head was propped up a bit more than it should have been. The blanket covering him was soft and smelled bad. He looked to his left, and saw Legosi at his oven, pouring hot water into a cup. He perked up when he saw Louis.

“Oh, thank goodness! You’re awake! Here, I have some tea!” 

Louis tried to sit up but found he was unable to. Legosi noticed this and went to his side, crouching down and holding the cup down. 

Louis stared down at it, feeling the steam on his nose. “I-it’s too hot, Legosi.” 

Legosi whined softly and sat down, holding the tiny cup humorously with both of his huge hands. “I got this tea from Sebun-san. She’s my neighbor. She’s taught me a lot about adult living.” 

Louis laid his head back as Legosi anxiously rambled. He was well aware of the burden he had placed on the wolf now. But he was selfish, so he tried not to care. The warmth of being held so close returned to his mind. It hadn’t just been a dream. A wall in their relationship crumbled. 

“I’ll try that tea now, Legosi.” 

“Oh, y-yeah! Sorry.” 

The tea tasted bitter, unsurprisingly. Louis never was a fan. He drank down the whole cup, letting the warmth run through him. Not as warm as Legosi had been, sadly. 

“You should rest here for the night.” Legosi stood up and went back to the kitchen area, cleaning up. Louis’s eyes followed him, and he noted the rest of the room had been tidied up as well. He felt his heart suddenly hammer in his chest. 

“What about you?” 

Legosi looked back at his guest. “I can stay at my neighbor Zaguān’s place. He lives a floor above me. It’ll be fine.” 

The warmth granted from the tea left Louis’s body. “Legosi.” 

He turned to face Louis fully, looking attentive and concerned. “Yes?”

Louis swallowed, and a shaky arm pulled the covers down as he moved his body toward the wall. “Sleep next to me.” 

Legosi’s face immediately went flush. “A-ah I-I don’t know if that’s such a good idea!” He was trying to repair the wall they had just worked so hard destroying.

But it was a good thing Louis had accepted the selfish side of himself now. He sat up, willing his eyes to convey all the pleading and want he now felt. He armed his tongue and teeth with a potent weapon. The target: an adorably clueless wolf. 

“Please!”

Payload delivered, Legosi stood there speechless. Louis could have sworn he saw tears, but whatever had been there was quickly blinked away. He slowly lumbered over, hands playing with themselves nervously. He towered over the prone deer, mouthing inaudible words. 

Louis looked up at him, smiling weakly. “Please...comfort me...” 

Legosi dropped to his knees, and he slowly slipped under the covers. Louis felt giddy as the heat radiating off of him made contact with his personal space. He had been so alone the past week. He needed someone. He needed Legosi. He needed the most important animal in his life next to him. 

Legosi laid on his side facing him, and Louis turned to do the same. He often forgot just how much bigger this wolf was compared to him, but from that position it was undeniable. He reached down and grabbed one of Legosi’s hands, kneading it with his own. The wolf audibly gulped, sweat forming on his forehead. 

“Hey...relax.” Louis still couldn’t believe Legosi could so reliably look pathetic in situations where he held complete control and power. “You’re not gonna eat me again, right?”

Legosi cleared his throat loudly. “I-it’s not that...” 

“Then what is it?”

Legosi untangled his hand and folded his arms. “Well...remember what we talked about in the hospital?”

Louis tried to recall. “How you defend herbivores mostly because you’re in love with them? Yes, I remember.” He smiled at the absurdity of it all. 

“Well...I mean...you’re an herbivore...and I’m feeling...feeling...” 

Now it was Louis’s turn to turn red. He never thought of himself as an herbivore, or rather, he tried not to. But now that he realized it...

Feeling rather bold, Louis lobbied a question: “So, what? You don’t love me, too?” 

The riskiness of the question was worth it just to hear the high pitched squeak that escaped the wolf’s mouth. 

Louis moved closer to him, unable to control his body now. “After all we’ve been through. Even after saying you want to become Beastar with me and change society to our ideals...you don’t love me?” 

Legosi was now blabbering nonsense, still crossing his arms. Louis scowled and reached for them, trying to pry them apart. Eventually, they untangled and Louis inserted himself into them. 

“Well, Legosi...”, Louis squirmed, as if his body was fighting the vulnerability it was instinctively showing now. “I can’t think of anybody else I love more than you...” 

It was such an obvious statement, but Louis was still shocked that it had left his lips. 

Legosi’s strange nonspeak stopped, and Louis could very clearly feel his heart hammering against his ribcage. The arms around him started to hold him with purpose, and his long legs curled forward, catching Louis’s as they entwined. 

“L-Louis-san...” 

“Yes?”

“I...I do...” 

“...what?”

“...love you.”

Not a noise could be heard for a few moments, aside from the cars outside and the pitter pat of rain against the window. Someone downstairs closed a door a bit too loudly. 

Louis chuckled. “I love you, Legosi.”

Legosi’s own soft laughter joined the deer’s. “I love you, Louis!”

“I love you, Legosi!”

“I love you, Louis! I love you!”

“I love you!” 

The nonsensical back and forth went on for longer than it probably should have, and eventually the enthusiasm and energy in their declarations faltered. Nevertheless, they continued to mumble those same words to each other as they fell asleep embracing each other.